A review on Pakistani drama TV series, Parizaad Episode 25 (2021). The new TV series is directed by Shehzad Kashmiri and written by Hashim Nadeem. Parizaad is a Momina Duraid Production.
(Note: If you’ve already read the review of the previous episode, you can skip directly ahead to the High points section).
+ Crew
- Directed by Shehzad Kashmiri
- Written by Hashim Nadeem
- Produced by Momina Duraid Productions
+ Note
Parizaad is based on a novel by Hashim Nadeem and is a case study of a protagonist who cannot seem to find his place in a world where illicit behaviour and exploitation is rewarded over truth and kindness. The show explores the lower middle class societal problems of Pakistan and how a wallflower like Parizaad is never appreciated by our society.
The director of the show Shehzad Kashmiri is a well respected cinematographer who then moved towards directing TV shows. He also directed a feature length film Bin Roye in 2015 which earned him a nomination for Best Film Director at 15th Lux Style Awards.
+ Main Cast
- Noman Ejaz
- Ahmed Ali Akbar
- Syed Muhammad Ahmed
- Urwa Hussain
- Ushna Shah
- Yumna Zaidi
- Saboor Ali
- Mashal Khan
- Tipu Shah
- Kiran Tabeer
+ Plot
Born in a world of neglect and hurt, Parizaad is an innocent soul that differs from everyone. He is kind, thoughtful and a gentle soul who due to his nature and appearance, does not fit the societal norms of Pakistani culture. Will the devious modern society engulf Parizaad into its darkness or will he remain a beacon of hope and all that is good in Life?
+ High Points
i – Episode 25 develops Parizaad’s further decent into the dirty, underworld tactics of maintaining power. And that is a great way of depicting how much our main protagonist has changed since the transition of ‘rags to riches’ storyline. Even though we all know and love Parizaad for his kind heartedness and empathic point of view of his world, one must also never push such a character to his extreme. You might be surprised as to what you would end up discovering. But…
ii – …. at the same time, the writer’s decision to not let Parizaad completely descend into the abyss of evil was a wise one. While this was never in true doubt, murdering his adversary’s innocent son in cold blood might have too massive of a character development in one, stand alone incident. While his tactics can be cruel, he is still the Parizaad that we all can relate and sympathize with.
iii – The relationship between Parizaad and Guru is also a heartfelt one. Guru has had a harsh, unforgiving life who adjusted himself to the evil nature of our society. Every scene that they share together, it is apparent that Guru sees a bit of himself in Parizaad before he has enveloped into the madness of revenge and solitude.
+ Low Points
i – The very late introduction of the cousin character of Annie seems so forced and out of place with the current storyline. His performance seems to belong to some other light hearted Hum TV drama, not the gritiness real life of Parizaad. Up till now, I have no idea what major purpose he serves to the plot but as of now, his existence seems unnecessary to the inevitable conclusion of the show.
ii – Speaking of harsh reality, the “fight scene” at the rooftop with Parizaad’s adversary seemed so phony and ridiculous. When your show is excellent at staying grounded and real, you don’t need such scenes to elevate the absurdity of the situation. If the dialogues, characterizations and performances are based on reality, so should the fight scenes.
+ Overall
Once again, a good episode although the plot now does feel somewhat directionless in the grand storyline of the show. Where is this all heading to?
Rating: 
Mr. Khan's Reviews 